to whom we are indebted, and to those we have lost

Dear, dear fire fighters, we salute you on this day of prayer. So many of
your coworkers have died on your mission of salvation, and we will attempt
to feel every lost drop of blood for your sake. Praise be to your ranks.
You are our salvation. Fire fighters bless America, our sweet home.

Dear construction workers, who marched to ground zero immediately in the
aftermath, we thank you for your help. You built the World Trade Center,
kept it sound, and now you dig through its remains for signs of life. And
after all hope of life is gone, you will continue to dig. And then you
will rebuild. Praise be to you. You are our salvation. Bless us,
construction workers.

Dear NYPD, thank you for your protection. You are watchful always during
this crisis, protecting innocent people from the harm that evil people
would do to take advantage of our weakened state. We look to you to get us
information, help us to safe places. You are our salvation. NYPD, bless
America, our sweet home.

Dear National Guard, you are a vision of strength and power amid the pile
of rubble. We wrongly forget about you in times of peace and stability,
but you always reappear when we need you, answering our prayers.

Dear fighter pilots, I cannot express how happy I am to see you in the
air. You are our salvation. Bless us, fighter pilots.

Dear New Yorkers, we are so sorry for your suffering and your loss. We
admire your strength and determination, and we promise we will not forget
it. It is harder for those of us who are not there, to believe it. But
when we believe it we feel the horror. We will bless you with our blood
and our assistance.

Dear news reporters, you more than any of us are the Great Satan, showing
us the truth and giving us understanding to the dismay of secretive and
dishonest governments all over the world, sometimes even our own. We need
you so badly during this crisis, and we thank you for the blessing of an
endless stream of information. You are our salvation, praise be to all of
you.

Dear FBI and CIA agents, you will find them, because we have prayed to
you and you will answer our prayers. You will help us find a way to make
air travel safe again. We do not blame you; we know that determined evil
is creative in its destructive strategies. Bless America, our sweet home,
with your investigations and ultimate justice.

Dear Minoru Yamasaki. Your building absorbed the full impact of two bombs,
so that nearby buildings only lost the glass of their windows. It
collapsed straight down into itself after holding as long as it could,
without taking other buildings with it. Many people were able to escape
because of your extraordinary genius. You have been a great blessing to
us, we sing your praises. (Original prayer by Carolyn Ray, La Jolla,
California, United States of America)

Dear passengers of United Flight 93, you took action and responsibility for your lives, and refused to let evil men use you for their ends. You acted heroically to defend your right to LIVE, and although you could not save your own lives, you stopped the enemy from their terrible task, and saved many more lives. You stood up, and refused to sanction the deeds of your attackers. You have been a great blessing to us, we sing your praises.
(Mark Tafoya,
New York City
New York
USA
)

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
(Gayle Dean,
Savannah
Ga.
USA
)

Thank you blood donors and the Red Cross, for bringing the very stuff of life to the wounded. Without your generousity of spirit more innocent people would have died--you have given life where vile perpetrators of this horror would have taken it away. We raise our voices in praise and thanks to you.
(Tom Radcliffe,
Kingston
Ontario
Canada
)

Many thanks to the larger than life characters in our country who strive to entertain us every week, and who now seek to comfort a stricken and agonized culture. Many thanks to Jay Leno for his honest and benevolent approach to this country's pain.
(Teresa L. Isanhart,
Pontiac
MI
USA
)

Thank you, travellers and travel workers of every land in the world, for doubling up in hotel
rooms and giving up your vacations and business plans and airline seats, so that stranded and
worried Americans might return home.
(Adam Reed,
Torrance
California
US
)

I write to express my grief for the victims of September 11, and in the hopes that
their survivors may find strength and peace. A mere 'thank you' cannot possibly
express the gratitude I feel for the NYPD, the FDNY, Emergency Medical
Services, and to all involved in the rescue efforts: I feel ennobled at the thought
that we share the same country. To our utterly underappreciated Armed Forces,
and especially to the victims of the attack on the Pentagon: I can only apologize
for not having expressed before September 11th my unbounded admiration for what you do. To the
passengers and crew who overpowered the attackers: your heroism may have saved
our country; you will never be forgotten. Finally, I cannot suppress adding the
final thought for those who have attacked us and any who sympathize with
them: you are not the mujahidin you take yourselves to be; you are cowards,
lusting after non-existent 'houris', in thrall to a non-existent deity, enslaved
by ideas you have never quite understood. You hate us because you are zeros
and because we have achieved what you cannot comprehend. That, O believers,
is why you will fail. To quote your Holy Book back to you: you are like men
deaf, dumb, and blind, whence you cannot return to light--and so you thrash in
self-made darkness, hoping to destroy the world as you've destroyed your
own lives. But the world will not be destroyed, and no one will lift you
from your anonymous graves to a non-existent 'jannat'. You will lie, rot,
stink, and eventually join the other molecules around you, having made no
more significant mark on the world than they did. That is the truth about
you, O great holy warriors: you came from clay and returned to it; unfortunately,
you forgot that a life had to be lived in the interval. Unlike you, we don't make
such mistakes.
(Irfan Khawaja,
Princeton
NJ
USA
)

I want to add an expression to Man's Best Friend. Let's thank those dedicated, loyal bloodhounds. I have heard reports that even they are saddened by this tremendous loss. I have heard about one that was retired because he was too depressed. Those dogs always know more than we want to think they do. They seem to know that something is terribly wrong here. Does any other animal understand empathy? We are blessed such wonderful servants. They have proven that the dog is Man's Best Friend.
(Chris Baker,
Columbus
Ohio
USA
)

I am sorry that so many innocent people had to die. I am sorry that I could not do more to help those in need. I am sorry that there are now so many children who have to grow up with out their parents, or parents without their children. Husbands who must grow old without their wives. I am sorry that anyone in the name of religion could do this. I am sorry.
(,
Colorado
)

I feel guilty for taking for grantid the heroic actions that our fireman, police officers, volunteers and fellow human beings risk their lives for everyday. The tragedy of September 11 was an eye opener I believe for all of us and we will always remember. I feel fortunate that I still have my family to go home to every night and thousands of people's lives will never be the same. It is amazing how much something as horrible as this can unite a nation. I have and will continue saying my prayers everynight for the innocent people lost, and to their loved ones, hoping for the strength and courage to be strong. And may the people who did this suffer as all of American has.
(Athena Soupios,
East Northport
New York
United States
)

(Shana Chamberlain,
Columbus
Nebraska
United States
)

Dear Americans,
Thank you for all you have done for our country in this time of need.
(,
)

fdny are my heros
(dan russoniello,
Branchburg
new Jersey
U.S.A
)

As part of the global family, I will be doing my part to remember all who lost their lives and for their loved ones who are living their memory by pushing my wheelchair from Boston to New York City to Washington DC on September 11, 2002.
William Tan Singapore wkmtan@netscape.net
(William Tan,
Singapore
Singapore
)

We will never forget 9-11 and we will never forget those who died, those who survived, those who worked tirelessly to help, and that includes the dogs who searched the rubble. The families of all
these people will be in our hearts forever.
(Marylin Davis-Glover,
Edmonds
Washington
United States of America
)

i give this prayer to all police officers wives. Please watch over our men. They walked and ride
a beat daily. Even when they are home they could be calle dout for somekind of tradgey, They stand in places that are only in our imginations. Give them the courage to do good in all they are trying
to accomplish. Watch over us so that we are prepared for what ever might happen they will need us once they get home. Let them rest with ease adn find understanding in their minds and hearts.
That they did their best and that now it is up to the people on the beat to continue the watch.
That they need to be with family and friends and live their lives outside the beat. If you should call them home to protect your throne give the family this thought constantly now he is watching the beat for our enternal home.
(michelle yingling,
fort valley
georgia
usa
)

(,
)

.....
(kimi,
alberta
canada
)

Remember,all the people who died on sept,11/02!
I feel sorry 4 all the peoples who lost there loved ones...!!
(kimi oussoren,
alberta
canada
)

dear people with loses im so sad to think that anyone would do the what they did to use they will probley will never know how you feel about it.
(Tessa,
eau claire
wisconsin
united stats
)

We regret that so many must be left unnamed, but we are with you. This
is personal.